For the first time, researchers have discovered microplastics in the human bloodstream.

The study by Dutch researchers was published in the Environment International academic journal.

"This is proof that we have plastics in our body -- and we shouldn't,"Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, told AFP.

The study claims the plastic particles could have entered into the human body by air, water, food or even personal care products such as toothpaste and lip gloss.

Residue from tattoo ink could have also resulted in microplastics in the body, the study suggests.

The people behind the study say more research needs to be done to determine how these microplastics could be impacting a person's health.

"If plastic particles present in the bloodstream are indeed being carried by immune cells, the question also arises, can such exposures potentially affect immune regulation or the predisposition to diseases with an immunological base," the researchers questioned.